Disposable Diapers Add Millions of Tons of Waste to Landfills Each Year

Disposable diapers are a popular consumer product in the United States, but reports show their convenience comes at a price.

An estimated 20 billion disposable diapers are added to landfills throughout the country each year, creating about 3.5 million tons of waste. According to a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, disposable diapers introduce pathogens into the environment from the solid waste they contain. While the effects of these pathogens are still being studied, experts agree that pathogens could make their way into a water source, potentially polluting drinking water.

Studies indicate that diapers in landfills take up to 500 years to degrade, creating methane and other toxic gasses in the process, and their manufacture uses volatile chemicals that also end up in the eco-system. In addition, estimates indicate that up to 200,000 trees are lost each year to make disposable diapers for babies in the U.S. alone.

"The negative impact of disposable diapers on the environment is irrefutable," said Gioula Chelten, founder of Babytooshy.com, a new online resource for parents seeking sustainable baby products. "Reusable cloth diapers are becoming more popular among health- and environmentally-conscious parents, and reports show that reusable diapers also save families as much as $900 per year compared with disposables when the costs of diapers, laundry detergent and energy are taken into account."

In response to increasing demand, Baby Tooshy has introduced new bamboo diaper inserts and hemp cloth diaper diapers and cloth diaper covers that make cloth diapers virtually leak-proof, to help families save money and waste compared to disposable diapers.

Ecologically sustainable bamboo forests grown for fabric production do not require the use of pesticides or anti-fungal agents, and the fabric produced from bamboo kills 99.8 percent of germs that cause the potentially deadly Staph infection, along with many other dangerous microbes, according to a study by North Carolina State University's College of Textiles.

Called "the sustainable wonder crop" by the Huffington Post, hemp is becoming ever more popular as a fabric choice for everything from diapers to apparel, home décor and furnishings. The plant truly "grows like a weed," needing no pesticides or fungicides, little fertilizer and water, and it actually improves the soil where it's grown. Hemp cloth diapers also absorbs more than cotton by weight.

Recently introduced on Amazon.com, Baby Tooshy offers bamboo cloth diaper inserts, hemp inserts, hemp flat diapers, flushable diaper liners and waterproof cloth diaper covers that have double-elastic leg gussets for a tight, leak-proof fit. Diaper liners can be discarded in the toilet, but all other diapers and accessories are machine washable, drier friendly or can be line dried or laid flat to dry.

The antimicrobial 5-layer bamboo diaper inserts, hemp flat-fold unbleached cloth diapers and hemp diaper inserts can be found on Amazon. The waterproof cloth diaper covers are available in 2-packs and in four different color patterns.

Complete product information and prices can be found online at Babytooshy.com. The website also offers a variety of articles, news, and tips on cloth diapering and sustainable parenting, including helpful diaper storage ideas and cloth diaper laundry tips.